jet pack blues
by michirukaiohs
Summary: he wasn't always the cold person that everyone makes him about to be nowadays. gill hamilton was once bright and warm, but certain incidents in his life had made the snow and ice permanently stick to him. winter was in his bones and it never seemed like it was going to melt, but things can always change and there is always that one person that comes to set things right.
1. overture

hello! welcome to the story jet pack blues, i was previously under another name on here but the story was titled how to save a life, i'll be continue the story here with some definite spruce ups, but i hope you enjoy!

**disclaimer: i don't own harvest moon or any of its characters.**

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Every Sunday afternoon, according to family tradition, was spent at the Ocarina Inn. It was a place where a happy family could continue to be happy while indulging in Yolanda and Colleen's fine cooking while chatting here and there with Jake when he wasn't busy dealing with customers. Maya toddled around, trying to keep up with Gill and Chase's shenanigans while another little girl, sat off to the side and watched lazily with her head between her hands as the boys and girl played. A promise had been made earlier that day that she wouldn't partake in any of today's activities, Gill had been worried about his friend's pain and nausea, but it all meant something so much more. Something he wouldn't ever comprehend. Her time with him was ending and she'd transfer to another children, someone in dire need of a friend like Gill had been before finally breaking out of the hard shell that had encased him.

The Wizard knew and understood her predicament, they were one in the same as he liked to say although it always took him a minute or two to get it out, and they just had different occupations when it came to their magic. He was the fortune teller of Castanet and she was coined an Imaginary Friend, real to the children and unreal to the adults that surrounded them. It pained her to watch him, smiling and running as Maya tried to keep up with him and Chase – the peach-haired child had been in need of a friend too, at such a young age, Chase was already bursting at the seams with sarcasm and pessimism. Traits, she hoped wouldn't be passed on to Gill through their continued friendship.

Hamilton and Elizabeth were seated, chatting amongst themselves and casting loving glances every now and again to their son and his friends. Making sure he was safe, they were lovely parents, Gill looked just like his mother who was so beloved by the people of the island. It was the same with his father, a Mayor that ran this place with a sufficient hand, but unlike Elizabeth – he didn't share anything in common with his son other than his smile and laugh. They had taught him everything that they could to mold him into a good person, a better mayor, and as she had heard his mother say; a more splendid husband than his father. It brought a smile to her face to see him happy, looking her way every now and again, making sure that she felt already even though she felt like she had swallowed a thousand needles.

Gill Hamilton, the golden boy of Harmonica Town, was nearing the end of his childhood. In less than a month, actually, in less than a week, the twelve-year-old boy would be turning thirteen. The end of childhood and the beginning of something bigger and better for him, and he honestly couldn't wait for it to happen. He had been acting brattier than usual to everyone, including his best friend that sat off to the side, but he was trying to act big and bag. He often dismissed her from his company nowadays, spreading his time between Chase and Luna, and the other children that inhabited Castanet. She had tried, he knew, to tell her something over the past couple of weeks but he hadn't found the time to listen. It couldn't be anything incredibly serious, he told himself, they were just kids and nothing serious ever happened to them. Especially if you lived on Castanet, it was the same routine, over and over again.

"Gill, sweetheart. Come and eat your ice cream, it'll melt if you don't," Elizabeth Hamilton's voice dragged him from his thoughts, he was on the floor, eyes fixated on the ceiling, breathing heavily as Chase and Maya laid off to his sides. They were never treated like he was, the Mama's Boy as many had dubbed him, he got up and hurried over, plopping himself in the chair beside his mother and began to stuff his face. An unsophisticated way of acting, but he supposed he could be forgiven for now. He had suspected that she would still be there when he looked up from his bowl but she hasn't, she had disappeared without even saying goodbye, and he would just have to confront her about it later on that night at the bonfire.

* * *

The day faded into night, the warmth of summer had disappeared long ago and the chillness of winter was beginning to settle in. It was the perfect place to have a bonfire, the sand beneath their feet and bodies, and it seemed like the warmth of the fire was ten times better than anywhere else. The dark blue, nearly black sky was painted over with stars and a nearly full moon with a gentle but chilly breeze rolling over the land as the children enjoyed their last bonfire until the springtime. Everyone was there, laughing and playing, making smores or whatever they felt like doing because they could.

Gill hadn't seen her once tonight; his eyes had roamed over the familiar faces of his peers but had yet to land on her. She didn't stand these sort of things up, ever since they were little, she had loved the bonfires and now, all of a sudden, she was standing them up? It made the already irritated boy more irritated as he fell back onto the ground, arms crossing over his chest and huffing. It was all incredibly unfair, he didn't deserve to be stood up, he was Gill Hamilton and they were best friends. Best friends didn't do this sort of thing but then again, he hadn't really been acting like her friend and maybe, she was upset over that. He believed it to be stupid, complaining to an exasperated Chase, who had finally escaped the grip of Maya.

"She can't just stand me up, we're best friends and we've always come to these things together!" he groaned, his pale cheeks growing redder from the cold and from the anger.

"Well, go tell her that. She likes on that dinky little farm, doesn't she?"

Chase had never been more right in his entire life, Gill nodded his head and slapped the peach-haired, violet-eyed on the back and murmured a quick "thank you" before darting off. He had been there a hundred times and more, the way to her house was engrained in his mind and was probably as familiar as the feeling of his parents under the same roof, in the room right next to his. There wasn't much variety in the scenery that he passed, most of the plants were dying or already dead, but would sprout again in the spring. He could remember the times they had played hide-and-seek, pretended to be king and queen of the world, and things that he could no longer partake in after his birthday. He would be a man and a man didn't do childish things.

The plot of land was decent, the fall crops had already been harvested and shipped off, but the fields hadn't been plowed or weeded for the next season's crops. Quite an eyesore, he admitted to himself as he grimaced over the state of the land. It was a decently sized house, enough to fit the three measly people that inhabited it; it was a homey little place. Gill had spent most days here when she had been his only friend, they were practically like family but recently that had begun to change along with everything else. Being the perceptive boy that he was known for being, he noticed the changes in his mother's demeanor, everything seemed a little forced and his father appeared to be the same way. Where there hadn't been lines or creases in his skin, they had begun to appear two seasons ago, a bit prematurely as Gill would add. He'd just have to talk to them, figure out what was the big secret they were keeping from their one and only son, their pride and joy as they told him often as they planted kisses on his cheeks and ruffled his white-blonde hair.

The wooden door to the front was already cracked, someone must have forgotten to close and lock it or had recently come in from whatever chores that had done that evening. The lights were shut off and the building seemed almost foreboding, it didn't strike him as the house that he remembered. He didn't want to waste anymore time, things needed to be settled and he needed to get whatever he was feeling off of his chest. Barreling forward and through the door, Gill suspected someone would awake and flick on the lights to see what creature had gotten into their, and yet nothing came on and his eyes opened after being squeezed shut in fear that someone would shout at him. His mouth had fallen open as he took in his surroundings, the furniture was gone and it looked as if everything had aged ten years over night. The Harmon family was no longer there; in fact, it looked like they had never been there at all.

He wasn't sure what happened next, what he could remember before waking up at home in his own bed with his parents worried faces coming into view, was running around the one-storied house like a crazed man. Screaming at the top of his lungs for her to quit playing him and come out, that the joke that she was playing wasn't funny and he was getting worried. They were still friends, he still cared and didn't like the feeling that his heart had been kicked out of his chest. Nothing seemed to work because she wasn't coming, he had fallen to the floor, curling himself up and cried and screamed until he couldn't do either anymore. Waking up was no relief to him, his parents couldn't get him to talk and he could hear his mother weeping in the other room, asking his father what could have possibly happened to her baby.

A letter was waiting for him, his father brought it in with a solemn expression on his face as he whispered he might want to read it. The familiar handwriting was the thing that made him jolt upright, snatching it from its place on his bedside table where his father had put it and ripped it open feverously. The contents weren't exactly what he had wanted to hear, the once hopeful expression dissolved into what the world would probably deem the most pathetic expression as the tears returned, and all he could for the next week was cry. He had lost a friend, and he would never be able to say goodbye or apologize for his actions.


	2. present day: gill hamilton

hey, guys! i'm back with the latest update to jet pack blues!

i hope you enjoy the read and i promise the chapters will get shorter eventually, i'm so sorry that their novel length.

**disclaimer: i don't own harvest moon or its character.**

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At twenty-seven, Gill Hamilton liked to believe that he was successful, attractive, and cultured. He also liked to believe that he only deserved the best things in life and liked to believe he didn't live on a decaying landmass, and no matter how hard he tried; he couldn't find a just cause in why the nature had become so wonky. It kept him awake at night, chewing on his bottom lip as he scoured documents, old and new, sitting atop his comforter as weary eyes went over the same old information that he had come to know by heart. Nothing he ever did was good enough, the Harvest Goddess and Harvest Sprites were supposed to rely on the residence of the land of their land for help, and if anyone could help - it was him. He knew these things inside and out, thanks to his mother, who had sat him and his friend down for lessons although she never did acknowledge the young Harmon girl that was constantly with him. Looking back on it, it gave him a weird feeling, a sensation that she was never really there and figment of his imagination. It made him think he was crazy but then he would remember the other children, the ones that he had grown up with. They remembered her too, they had mourned over her too. But those feelings had to be put on the backburner, just as his mother's death had been.

There were larger things at hand than the things that haunted him from his past. His lips were pressed into a firm line as he organized the papers and slipped them back into the manila folders he had assigned them to. His father, even in his advancing age, wouldn't like to find him up this late despite being an adult.

"You need your rest, you can't be staying up so late!" Hamilton would tell his son with a wag of his index finger before shuffling off back into his own room.

He had to admit that he was still Hamilton's son and living underneath his roof, much to his chagrin, but it was only something he had retorted to doing when he returned from the mainland. He had only been back for a season, not too long, for his search for something or someone to help rejuvenate Castanet had proved fruitless. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he flung himself back, head falling on the pillow and his body involuntarily curled up like he was still a small child, and that his mother would saunter in at any second and tuck him in. Nights like this were the hardest, his thoughts were demons and wished nothing more than to hurt him in the worst kind of way, and all he could was portray to the best of his abilities that he was the exact opposite of what was whispered inside his mind. Gill was privileged, sophisticated, and one of the most eligible bachelors. If you weren't groveling at his feet then you weren't worth his time, in fact, he deemed a lot of the company that he kept unworthy but he had to keep up the appearance of having good relations. Good relations granted you power and he needed power, it was the only comfort he could find.

Fall, the sentimental season, as he had overheard Luke telling Owen one evening at the Brass Bar. He had gone on to say how got sad for no reason and Gill hated to admit it, but he agreed and understood exactly what the man child was saying. Sleep wasn't coming easy and like most nights when it didn't come easy, he found his way out of bed and out of the house, and into the cold world outside of the warm Hamilton's family door. A routine had been made of these evenings, Harmonica Town would be roamed and he'd try to find things that he had never noticed before, but there was nothing to be found in his all too familiar settings. The cemetery was where he'd head off to next, allowing the quiet engulf him as he sat in front of his mother's grave. Elizabeth Hamilton, a woman so beloved by the people of this island and taken so early, she hadn't even gotten into her forties when the cancer took her. It made him angry that no one could help her, not a single doctor had been able to prolong her life or completely eradicate the disease from her bones. His father had been the same, it had been a time of bonding for the two of them when she passed, but his father didn't hold onto that anger like Gill had and it wasn't long until he reverted back to his typical happy ways.

"She came and visited me, Irene," he overheard his father say one night as he poured himself another drink, and Irene declining politely. Hamilton continued on for the remainder of the night, saying over and over again that Elizabeth reassured him that it was okay to be himself again. Gill just thought his father was becoming a drunk.

The cemetery was his place of peace for an hour or two before he'd get off his butt, dusting the seat of his jeans before sneaking his way into the district that they now just called Clarinet Ranch without being seen by the occupants of the Brass Bar that we're making their way home in a drunken stupor.

There it sat, in shambles and without the warmth that it once radiated when she lived there. He had made this house his true sanctuary, the only place that he could really escape to without being found, no one ever thought that he'd come back here… He hardly left Harmonica Town, but Chase knew and had never said a word to anyone. He slept here most nights, waking up in the wee hours of the morning to make his way home without looking like a deranged man that couldn't let go of his past. Chase had told him that he cared too much about what people thought about him, they were still best friends after all these years, and Gill truly felt like the chef was the only one that understood him.

The door had fallen off some time ago, lying against the broken wooden floor of the porch as he overstepped it carefully like he did nearly every night, he couldn't bear it if he were to break this place anymore than it already was. It was like taking a step back into the past, a feeling of nostalgia that hit so hard that if he wasn't so used to shutting the tears and feelings out, he wouldn't began to cry. That little boy had disappeared a long time ago, he tried to reassure himself that he was stronger now than he was before and that this was for the best, and this was what made Luna attracted to him and him attracted to her. She could fuel all the emotions, the ones he had long forgotten how to express without seeming like a complete and utter jerk because he didn't know what to say. Things just came out wrong, they never sounded right when they were up in the there air like that and not in his head. Taking his usual spot in the child's bedroom, he laid himself down and looked up through the nearly nonexistent roof over his head. It was like the night she had disappeared, nothing was visible, the sky was pitch dark and brought a certain melancholy with it. It was times like this when he could find sleep, a dreamless slumber that he would awaken from in a few hours.

* * *

The early hours of the morning and the darkest hours of the night were Gill's favorite times. It often brought on a scolding from his father when he walked into town hall with a coffee in hand, and dark circles underneath his eyes.

This particular morning, Hamilton looked completely exasperated as his son came in with a cocky grin on his face. "Gilly! Where have you been? I checked your bed this morning, and you weren't there. I was looking all over for you!" he sounded strained, his round cheeks were flushed red and a bead of sweat was already making its way down his forehead.

A large amount of paperwork was sitting atop the desk, the name obscured from Gill's vision since his rotund father stood in front of him. "Why? You ought to be a pro at this or has it become too strenuous for you, father?" he quipped, his voice not as deep as his father's, where Hamilton was a baritone, Gill was an octave higher - seated right in the middle of the tenor range. It was a pleasant voice as Luna had told him, a flirty smile on her face and her cheeks a light pink.

The pointed look was something new, it wasn't exactly something that he expected from his short father as he sat himself down and sighed, shoulders slumping in what seemed as defeat. "The work isn't too strenuous, son. It's the fact that the old house… That Clarinet Ranch needs to be spruced up a bit," he murmured, not knowing how his son would react to the news.

An initial surprise was what came first as Gill found his way into a seat, taking a sip of coffee in hopes that it would give him whatever confidence that it could muster him to have. "What do you mean? The house is in complete shambles, only an idiot would move into that kind of environment," he countered, his expression changing entirely as the situation's seriousness settled in.

No one could move into that house, it wasn't possible, he wouldn't let it happen. He was being selfish, he had claimed the house as his own since she had been away, and the fact that it needed sprucing up meant one thing… Someone was moving in.

"That isn't kind to say. The young lady didn't sound like an idiot, she saw my ad in the paper, and said she'd move in on any date that was possible," hopefulness plagued Hamilton's voice now, a weary smile gracing his features as a pudgy hand went up to smooth the gray hair that stuck on his head once more.

The ad was the cause of all this, it was what was bringing this woman here. He felt like a woman scorned as he glared at his father, the man knew the significance of that house and he was just giving it away!

"She can't possibly live there in that house, you promised that I'd be able to move in once I had the money," Gill's voice had gotten increasingly serious, a little hostile even, but Hamilton wasn't one to be bullied. He had been a formidable enemy when he was a teenager and a formidable ally when he was a child, and now as an adult.

"Gilbert Augustus Hamilton, you will not bully me into relinquishing that home from this woman's ownership. She has already paid me the 5,000 gold," he answered, the playfulness of the elderly mayor was lost only for a second before he reverted back.

A stupidly happy smile spread out across his features as he got up and moved to the bookcase, his fingers dancing over the spines as if he was really paying attention to them. "You'll be showing her around when she gets here," he was looking back at his fuming son, wagging a finger playfully at him before his attention returned to the bookcase.

Typically, he wouldn't have minded a new resident had Castanet not fallen on hard times and that this woman had just usurped his house… No, her house from him. "When will she get here?" it was hard to seem excited, Gill no longer wanted his coffee and planned to trash it once he got back home, and then write in his journal.

It had been his mother's suggestion that he keep a journal, it had helped him draw himself out of the funk he had been in when she had disappeared, and it helped now when he felt like he was going to snap.

Hamilton didn't even turn around, the smile on his face had grown to the point that it looked disproportionate. "She'll be here next week."


	3. present day: molly papen

so here is another chapter of jet pack blues! i posted it all together because i figured there will be a slight wait for the next chapter!

here is molly papen, previously known as molly harmon when she was gill's imaginary friend!

i hope you enjoy this chapter! tell me what you think/feel about it ~

**disclaimer: i don't own harvest moon or its characters**

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It was overly complicated to explain her job to people that weren't in the same line of work, there was only so much information she could give out without making herself look like a totally loon in the process. Who would believe someone if they said they worked as an "Imaginary Friend?" They wouldn't, they'd laugh right in her face and say she was crazy for even saying such a thing. Many believed that she worked for one of the big newspaper firms under a pseudonym, and that's why she was gone so often and for so long; she was off having adventures and living her life to the fullest. She did nothing to dispel these rumors, just smiled and nodded along with whatever they said when she was back in town after one of her many assignments. It almost came naturally, like a second nature, to lie to everyone around you and conjure up stories to please them so it seemed like she was doing more than just breaking the hearts of children when she had to leave them. Of course, they didn't have to deal with the pain for more than a day, they always forgot her by morning. They would wake up and not remember a thing and they would go on with life like nothing ever happened. It was all in the contract, every Imaginary Friend had one, and it was what she regretted the most. It was the life that she had wanted all those years ago, and she was finally reaping what she had sowed.

There were always perks to possessing magic and immortality, but there was nothing to compare to the flaws that they had. You would watch the people that you held dear die and the process would keep repeating itself, you would never be able to stop it. The Wizard had warned her of this as did the Witch, they had looked out for the girl together, putting aside their mutual distaste for one another. They wrote often and she replied, telling them of her latest assignments, and how being an "Imaginary Friend" was and the couple of things that she did on her sabbaticals. They were both genuinely interested in her life as she was with theirs, and she missed them dearly. She figured that no other magical being could possibly understand her as well as the Witch and Wizard of Castanet did. A sigh, a sad one at that, passed her lips as she looked over the contents of the letters from the most recent to years ago that were scattered across her dingy dining room table. Her sabbaticals were getting longer, others had noticed the growing change in their schedules as well, and they had been called together less than a week ago by the organization to discuss what was going on. It was like they were getting laid off, this was the only thing that they were good at, and they had been told to carry on with their lives until they were called upon again.

It was necessary to find a way to fill her time, there just wasn't anything that she wanted to do around the city, none of the jobs called to her like they should and she didn't actually want to go and work for a newspaper firm like her friends believed she already did. She had left the room, leaving the scattered letters on the table to sit outside on the balcony, lighting a cigarette and looking out onto the city. Autumn had finally settled in here, a cool breeze gusting through the busy streets of the city, it was a place that lacked the vibrancy that Castanet had during this season. It wasn't that the city wasn't vibrant; no, it was a beautiful city and as colorful as ever, but the landscape didn't match the beauty that autumn had. She should have been able to see everything changing, the plants dying and preparing for their season long hibernation, so they could sprout again in the spring and the animals doing the exact same thing. The people would be roaming about, following roads that weren't paved once you left Harmonica Town, but well-known like the back of their hands. They'd be getting things ready for winter as well, engaging in all the festivities that they had to offer, and having a grand old time. It brought tears to her eyes as nostalgia pierced her heart, if only she could go back.

The more she thought about, chain smoking on her balcony, the clearer that it became that she could go back and set things right even though he wouldn't be able to remember who she was and how they had known each other. That was how things worked for for an Imaginary Friend. Gill Hamilton, her lovely white-blonde haired, baby-blue eyed boy was an adult now and would no longer remember her. He was like all children before and after him. A sad smile graced her face, tears finally escaping past her eyelids and she let herself sob, letting go of all the built up emotions. Molly Papen let herself calm down first, her chest heaving against her sweater before she hopped up and onto her feet, putting her cigarette out in the ashtry because determination was in her heart and mind. It'd be a bit hard, finding an ad for any plot of land - Castanet wasn't a particularly well known place and she doubted to an extent that Mayor Hamilton would have put out an ad or brochure to draw in new residents.

She was right; of course, it took her a good four hours to finally find an ad in one of the many papers that were scattered throughout the city. It must've been years old, the paper was brown and easy to tear. The town hall phone number was listed along with an email address, something that made her laugh immediately because she couldn't picture Hamilton using a computer. Molly didn't allow herself to waste her time, her mind was set on going back, and living on the island that she had come to love when she had lived there with Gill, with everyone, she told herself half-heartedly as she made the phone call.

It felt like an eternity before someone answered, "Hello? This is Mayor Hamilton speaking, you've reached the town hall."

She could have blown it right there, she had to suppress a giggle by the older man's joyous sing-song voice as she answered, "Yes, hello, I'm Molly Papen. I just saw an ad in the paper about a plot of land for sale, and I was wondering if it had been bought yet?"

Hamilton must have been surprised; it took him a minute to sputter out a reply about her inquiry. He seemed genuinely happy, relieved even by the sounds of it that she was even interested in the plot of land. "No one has lived there in ages, it's a bit… Dilapidated… But we can fix that before you get here!" he assured, his voice cracking slightly as she jot down the information onto a notepad.

"Alright, I'll fax you the papers and pay the down payment now," she replied, chuckling along with Hamilton, who seemed all too grateful to her - a complete stranger for taking this disheveled plot off his hands.

It was responsibility that the older man probably didn't want any longer, she knew that the house was probably in ruins and there would be a lot of work put into the land. No one had taken care of it while she and her family were away or at least, that was what she suspected. The call ended on a high note, a new feeling filled her chest as she began to roam around her apartment, looking over her things and deciding what would stay here and what would go with her. A new set of luggage would be bought, update her actual passport and possibly even get a whole new look for this new lifestyle that she was about to take up. It was decided, decreed that nothing could get any better than this for the young woman. Everything in her life was finally going in the right direction and she wasn't about to screw it up, not again.


	4. interlude

okay, so i lied when i said this chapter wouldn't be out for a little while longer.

here you go! i hope you enjoy!

**disclaimer: i don't own harvest moon or its characters.**

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There wasn't enough days in the week for the news of this new resident to settle in. The gossip mill of the small coastal town was running amok with theories, but their voices were always kept low so that the entitled Mayor's Son couldn't hear them. It had been a long time since anyone had shown interest in the farm, a fair few could recall the Harmon family and their success before disappearing off the face of the Earth before being shot a pointed glare by the blond as he strut down the street to gather Luna and her sister for the loosely based "family" dinner they held every Tuesday and Thursday night.

The night wasn't festive, only a few tables were actually taken, and the occupants were either whispering sweet words of romance or discussing the farm's sudden purchase from the newspaper that they had sent out years ago. He could probably listen for hours to these people or to the girls yammering on about designs and business, it was always Luna more than Candace, who often times looked his way with an expression that begged for him to help her. Gill would have cut in, shushed Luna appropriately without hurting her feelings too badly and continue to slip back into his thoughts as they carried on a more congenial conversation topic but tonight wasn't that night. The cool, blank exterior that Gilbert Hamilton had crafted himself was slowly breaking along with his interior.

"Goodness, Gill! You'd think you would be a little more interested in our topic discussion," Luna whined, her already shrill voice going up an octave, and her arms crossed over her chest. Her cheeks were red too, it was either embarrassment or anger at the boy that she claimed to be in love with.

He didn't offer an apology or even a sympathetic look. "Excuse me," was all he in a manner that seemed a bit abrupt as he ushered himself out of the door and into the cool, late fall evening.

The repercussions for such an act especially in public would be a lengthy apology, something who could or could not mean, flowers and a promise that he would get more sleep and figure out a better schedule because it was due to all the "stress" that had built up over the past few months. Gill swore he would fix this after he cleared his head, making a beeline for the Church Grounds and stumbling down the weather beaten steps to reach his mother. She would have known what to do, she had easily gotten herself out of predicaments without stepping on anyone's toes. Gill hadn't been lucky enough to inherit that from his mother and cursed the day when he had found that out.

It was a rare occasion when another person visited the graveyard, the tombstones were usually left alone with no flowers leaned up against them or gifts that people thought their lost loved ones might appreciate. Mira was the only one to bring things, blue flowers adorned her husband's graves along with a little handwritten note with "I miss yous" and "I love yous" probably written inside along with how life had been for her since his death. Gill could remember how he died, he had been sick like his mother too, and Dr. Jin hadn't been able to do anything for him.

A grimace crossed his face, slender fingers running through the now messy and tangled white-blond hair before seating himself on the ground in front of his mother's grave. Her grave looked as if it had been made that day, the stone kept clean from the muck by the combined efforts of Perry and Gill, and flowers had twined themselves around it. His father had suggested that they planted them, they were her favorite flowers, it was something he had to keep reminding himself every time he looked at the white petals.

"Mom, I don't know what to do," he began, edging a bit closer as his voice cracked. "Father sold the house, you know the one, it was always so important and it still is," he breathed, pinching his nose slightly before continuing, "but he sold it! To some girl that probably doesn't have the slightest clue about farming, carpentry, or anything for that matter!"

These things were mused angrily, a fist was slammed to the ground and he kicked out at nothing but the air. Many would have found it hysterical that a man a couple years shy of thirty was throwing a temper tantrum in the graveyard, no one had seen such a thing in ages and would go on to believe that it was just a figment of their imagination. He didn't expect Elizabeth to reply but he nodded after a few minutes, pretending that she had offered him a tidbit of wisdom like she used to as a child. No one heard those things anymore, no one heard a lot of things anymore.

He didn't waste much time there, figuring his problems could be easily fixed by going to the source of all his problems to reevaluate everything. When did life become so overwhelming? Gill hadn't felt so out of his element in such a long time. Sometimes, it felt as if it were all just a dream that he had woken up but it wasn't, the letter was there to remind him that it wasn't. It was still there inside the house, tucked away safely into his diary so he would always remember what he had done. Acting like an ass, treating her as if she was nothing more than a burden and then going on to treat everyone else that way afterwards. God, what would she do if she could see him now? Blanch and walk away? Probably. He couldn't blame her, Gill would do the same if he was her. He would never admit that though, a Hamilton wasn't self-loathing and never admitted they were wrong.

The night had grown colder, his breath a little more visible than before as he trudged along the familiar path that led him to the crossroads. Continue to Flute Fields or Garmon Mines? Or go to Clarinet Ranch? The answer was always the same, and he took the barely visible path up to the farm where someone was waiting for him. A cigarette dangled from his mouth, the lit end was the only light in the Castanet darkness and a horribly wrapped gift was in his hands to "appease the ghosts that lived there." Chase came on occasion for Gill and for himself, he had been close to her too. He missed her possibly not as much as Gill did, but he always brought a present when he came.

"You look like shit," his voice didn't ring out, there was a harshness to it that surprised everyone due to his dainty appearance. Compliments were rare with Chase as he moved from the broken pillar that left the nearly destroyed porch roof up, and offered an unknown hand gesture as his actual greeting instead of his observation.

Gill shrugged, extending his hand which drew back after a minute when a cigarette and lighter appeared there. It was a bad habit, he would have to quit but for now, he could ignore all the nasty details of what cigarettes did to you and your body to have a little peace. "Yeah… Well, you look no better," it was a weak attempt, but it was all he could muster. It had made Chase laugh and soon both of them were laughing.

Silence ensued for a few moments as they inhaled and exhaled, discarding their butts into the grass after they had been put out. The house creaked and groaned, begging them to come inside and lay in the bedroom to reminiscence about a time where they weren't as cold and cynical as they were now.

"I brought a present for them," Chase tried to joke, elbowing Gill in the ribs before being swatted at. "Hey man, I'm just doing what I've always done. Plus, on the bright side for you, I'm going to keep you company."

He was truly thankful to Chase at times like this, nodding in agreement as they walked inside, the wood moaning underneath the weight of their bodies. It was nice having him here, they were best friends and sharing this was good. It was something that a therapist would applaud after years of telling him to quit shutting himself off from people, that this was their place and not their place. Situating themselves in the right room with the proper holes in the ceiling, and the abandoned bed set in the corner where she used to look out her window on nights like these. The gift was left unopened like the others that had piled up on her bed after years of visitations and the boys were silent, drifting off into a sleep that they would rudely be woken up from tomorrow.

* * *

the next chapter will finally get the ball rolling!

the excitement begins and i hope you are prepared!


	5. welcome home

**author's note:** here is the latest chapter of jet pack blues!

i hope you guys enjoy it!

**disclaimer:** i don't own harvest moon or its characters.

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It would've been a lie if she said she enjoyed the voyage over to Castanet. A two week long journey from the city with an old sea captain that talked like a pirate wasn't exactly her ideal arrangement, and not to mention that the ocean was an incredibly temperamental thing. The tossing and turning of the waves had kept her stuck in her cabin, leaned over the toilet, vomiting up the little content that her stomach had.

Today was different though, the waves were oddly peaceful as if she had earned her right to walk around without the overwhelming urge to hurl. It was nice to finally feel the autumn sunshine on her skin again, the wind whipping through her hair as she leaned on the railing of the ship, and fixing her gaze on the looming shape up ahead that could only be Castanet.

"Oi! Ms. Papen, good to see you about!" his voice was oddly chirpy and kind for his gruff, weather beaten appearance.

She had been startled, jumping slightly at the sudden intrusion of her privacy despite being out in the open. He had laughed and soon she was laughing too, waving a hand that seemed to say, "all is well, I know I just nearly threw myself off the ship, but we're good."

"It's good to be out," she began, her voice hoarse from the weeks spent in the lavatory, but a smile lit up her face like a firework and it almost made the sickly pallor disappear. "It seems the ocean finally decided to give me a break."

Pascal was accustomed to the ocean, he had gotten over his seasickness long ago when he was still a young child. He had inherited the ship after his father passed, they were a family of sailors as he had told her, smoking his pipe and blowing the smoke in her face. There wasn't anywhere else to imagine him being, the sea was his home, and he would always belong there.

"I'm glad to hear that, Ms. Papen," he told her, patting the lopsided hat on his head fondly, and smiled. "We'll be docking in about an hour, so I'd begin to gather your things."

There was no need to say thank you, it was written on her face as she darted past him, turning around for a split second to plant a kiss on his cheek before heading off to her cabin once more.

* * *

It was the longest hour of her life, Molly hadn't imagined herself getting everything in order by the half hour mark, but she had and she stayed in her cabin to sulk until Pascal made the call that they were here. Docked and ready to unboard. Joy filled her heart as she dragged everything behind her, she had forgotten how heavy her luggage was, and she cursed the gods for it.

Only a few people were lined up outside, it seemed to have gotten around that if anyone crowded the dock, Gill would come and breathe fire down upon them. The people that were there were watching the ship with curious gazes, waiting for her to appear before them so they could make a quick assessment of her character. Hamilton was among them, looking at his watch every five minutes because his son was supposed to be here, but he was nowhere to be seen.

It didn't take long for her to come into view, the burden of her luggage had been lifted once Pascal offered to help her carry it down, and she couldn't have thanked him enough. He didn't even leave her side when they appeared before Hamilton, smiles plastered onto their face as they exchanged pleasantries.

"Mayor Hamilton! Hello, it's so nice to finally meet you," she began, extending her hand out for him to shake. "I'm Molly Papen."

Mayor Hamilton was taken aback by the petite girl, she hardly looked like someone who could handle running a farm, and he felt that he had made a grave mistake in allowing her to purchase the property. He was quiet for a while, his smile faltering as he took her hand in his own and shook, nodding his head since she clearly already knew who he was.

They couldn't stay quiet forever, he realized. "Welcome to Castanet, Ms. Papen! We're glad to have you here," he was trying his best to sound optimistic, and he suspected that she knew that he was regretting this.

"Thank you, I'm glad to be here. So, how do I get to the farm?" Molly was cutting to the chase, the bright chirper mayor had changed his groove entirely when he had taken in her appearance. She was petite, delicate looking, and she figured that he thought that she wouldn't be able to handle it. It would be his mistake, but she wouldn't call him out on it now.

"Oh! The farm! Yes, Cain will be taking you," Hamilton told her, gesturing to the man behind him.

Cain, Renee's father, if she remembered correctly. He was older, strands of grey had made their way through his light brown hair, but he still looked kindly and had kept himself in good shape over the years.

"It's nice to meet you, Cain. I'll be putting my life in your hands to get me to my home safely," she said with a slight laugh, offering her hand once more for him to shake. It was customary so that you wouldn't seem like a rude, mannerless heathen.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Papen," Cain had a slight drawl, and he took her hand with a surprising gentleness that she hadn't expected of him. "Let's get you loaded up," he added, gesturing to Pascal to give up the luggage that he was still gripping.

Molly said her goodbyes, making promises to the old sea captain that she would come and visit him at the docks every day once she got settled, and told Hamilton that she'd be visiting Town Hall soon. He had paled at this but put on an friendly face, and she told herself that she would personally shove it in his face that she could do this. The farm would be a success, she'd make sure of it, and then he would finally wipe that stupid look off his face.

The ride over to the farm was short and sweet, Cain and Molly had made simple conversation, and he helped her up to her porch of her home because he felt it was ungentlemanly to let a lady struggle with her luggage. She already had a soft spot for him, deciding that so far, he was her favorite resident until she was able to meet the others properly.

"Thank you, Cain. I'll be seeing you!"

She had waved him off before turning to her door, unlocking it with ease, and stepping inside with her things. She'd get the rest once she had a look around, her furniture from the city was here, and she would be the one to unpack them and place them around in a manner that she found suitable. Nothing had truly changed about this place except for the fact that it was in shambles, the renovations hadn't quite been made, and she figured that the payment for that would be coming out of her pocket.

Molly had looked around the main room long enough, figuring that it would be safest to sleep in here until the renovations were done, but she did want to check on the child's bedroom for nostalgic reasons and to see the damage that needed to be fixed in there too. She hadn't expected to find what she did there, her mouth gaping open as a hand flew up to cover it. Two boys that were so recognizable she almost cried.

"Excuse me, what are you doing in my house?

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the next chapter will take off where this one left off!

i didn't want to make it too long, so i hope you guys will be eagerly awaiting the next chapter ~


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